More Than Mord Sith
by urneejit2
Summary: A closer look into the lives of Mord-Sith Berdine and Raina.
1. Chapter One: Laughter

**More Than Mord-Sith**

No copyright infringement intended.

**Chapter One: Laughter**

By the way Berdine walked down the hallways of the People's Palace leading away from Darken Rahl's personal quarters, no one passing by would have guessed the events that had only just unfolded. Anyone seeing her, with her square jawline clenched tight, her red leather displaying every muscle, and her Agiel held tightly in her right fist, would assume that either someone had paid the price of angering a Mord-Sith or was about to. When Mord-Sith wore their red leather it meant they were expecting blood, and lots of it. The red was meant to hide the blood of their victim.

Berdine, however, was wearing her red leather to hide her own blood.

Though she refused scream, to plea for him to stop, she had certainly been crying out in her head. But it was never much better when he finished. She could still feel him inside of her, the weight of him thrusting into her with all of the masculine violence he could muster. Worse, however, was that Berdine could still hear Darken Rahl's echoing laughter.

She could still feel his hands smothering her breasts, squeezing with all of his strength. Laughter. "Don't you like that? Don't you like the strong hands of a man?" Laughter. "You can't handle a man. You're not a real woman." Laughter.

Berdine locked her knees to keep her legs from buckling as she struggled to rid her mind of the memory, of the laughter. She was Mord-Sith. She had endured his rape, suffered being his amusement, just as she had so many times before. She would not show weakness now. She would not cry. But there was still that laugher. It vibrated through the air, surrounding her, choking her as he had. Berdine gripped her Agiel tighter, letting the pain course through her veins, trying to block out all other sources of agony.

When Berdine got back to her chambers, Raina was already there waiting for her. She too wore red leather, her own way of sharing in the struggle they both faced. Raina's dark piercing eyes examined her soul, searching for assurance that she hadn't screamed or cried. Berdine, however, had learned to see beyond that incisive gaze into the woman within. There was judgment, but there was also love. They never spoke of it, never said the words aloud, but they didn't need to. The looks they shared spoke for them.

Raina stepped forward and placed her left hand over Berdine's right, which was still clutching her Agiel. With their hands touching as such, the pain surged into Raina as well. Together they shared in the agony of Father Rahl humiliating them for his own amusement. Raina lifted her free hand to Berdine's face, gently caressing her cheek. Such an openly intimate gesture was a rare experience for the two women. She placed her hand over Raina's as the laughter was chased away by how right such a simple act felt. Gentle fingers urged Berdine to release the Agiel. It dangled from her wrist before dropping to the floor.

With one hand still cupping Berdine's face, Raina undid her braided dark hair, the sign of her profession of Mord-Sith. She always had subtle ways of trying to be more than just the madness of Mord-Sith. It took everything they had to hold on to their shred of humanity amidst the insane cyclone of pain and torture that they gave and received daily. Berdine followed suit and ran a hand through her wavy, brown hair to let it fall naturally. A slight smile graced Raina's lips at the sight, but it was still clouded with their mutual pain. The special way Raina looked at her could almost make Berdine forget Father Rahl's laughter. She wished so badly that she could make Raina laugh. Not the humiliating laughter of Darken Rahl and not the laughter of a Mord-Sith breaking a pet, but the giggle of joy no Mord-Sith had known since they were kidnapped as young children. Berdine imaged Raina's giggle would be wonderful, but as Mord-Sith under the rule of Darken Rahl, they had no cause for laughter.

Raina wrapped her arm around Berdine's waist and pulled her closer until their foreheads were pressed together. Understanding how weak Berdine felt, Raina whispered, "We're stronger than the others. He's worse to us, but he still can't break us. Together we are strong." Their lips met in a firm kiss, and Berdine let Raina urge her onto the bed behind them. They lay there, faces close together, hands grasped tight.

"Don't let go," Berdine whispered. Raina pulled her closer in reply, and the final echoes of laughter faded away.


	2. Chapter Two: Torture

**More Than Mord-Sith**

No copyright infringement intended.

**Chapter Two: Torture**

The man in front of her had a name, but Berdine knew him only as her pet. His name, his past, everything about him was now irrelevant. He dangled from a chain hooked to an iron peg on the ceiling. Iron bands dug into his wrists since he no longer had the strength to keep the pressure off of them. An hour ago he had been fully dressed, wielding a knife in a pathetic attempt to save himself. Now both his bare chest and her red leather were covered in his blood. The knife rested at his hip, but he had long ago given up on any chance of escape. He didn't dare reach for the blade for fear of her Agiel. He was helpless and he knew it, which to her delight only amplified his fear.

"Mistress Berdine, please, I confessed. I've told you everything. Please…"

Her Agiel pressed into his throat cut him off. "I told you. I don't want to hear your voice." She dragged the Agiel down his the length of his body, raising welts that filled with blood. He screamed, and she smiled. "That's more like it."

"Such a delightful scream," a voice called from the doorway.

Berdine turned to find Raina dressed in her red leather. "Pet, this is Mistress Raina. You wouldn't mind if she joined us, would you?" The man, his eyes on the Agiel, remembering what she would do if he spoke, kept silent. "See, he doesn't mind at all."

With a flick of her wrist, Raina had her Agiel in hand. Together, they stroked their Agiels along the man's body, discovering all of his sensitive places. They poured their anger and humiliation from Father Rahl into each touch, letting the man's screams drown out their own agony. Without warning, Berdine thrust her Agiel into the man's ear. Not knowing the consequences of moving, the man's body jerked, trying to escape the amplified pain. When his screams died out, he was sobbing.

"My eyes! Mistress Berdine, please I can't see!"

Taking advantage of his loss of eyesight, Raina moved in front of him. He blinked his eyes and turned his head, frantically trying to find out where the Mord-Sith would strike next. Raina's Agiel slammed into his tender armpit. "I believe Berdine commanded you not to speak."

"Let's do it together, Raina, at the same time. It's been too long since I've heard that scream." Raina's Mord-Sith smile was accompanied by a small laugh at the prospect of such pleasure. The women shifted to either side of the now blinded man. Berdine clenched a fist full of his hair and yanked his head back. Eyes locked on each other, they simultaneously thrust their Agiels into each of the man's ears. The dying scream was even more arousing than Berdine remembered. It filled every corner of the room until finally he went limp.

The two women never took their eyes of each other, both breathing heavily from the excitement. Berdine dropped her Agiel, letting it dangle from the gold chain around her wrist. She reached out and gripped Raina's arm firmly as if clinging on to it for life. Swinging the dead weight of the man out of the way, Berdine pulled Raina towards her. They grasped on to each other as their breathing quickened. Slamming Raina up against the cold stone wall, Berdine's rough tongue licked away a smear of blood on her lover's cheek. Foreheads pressed together, their breathing quickening with anticipation, Berdine slowly put her Agiel between her teeth. The instant pain flashed into her blue eyes, Raina's lips were on hers. They shared in a passionately savage kiss as they clung to each other, clawing at the leather covering them, muscles tightening with the pain.

When Berdine finally let the Agiel drop from her mouth, both women were gasping for air. Their lips were crushed together again in an instant as they breathed in each other. Raina grasped Berdine's bottom, pulling the woman up into her. Berdine's hands, still shaking slightly from the pain, ripped open the blood slicked leather coating Raina's muscular form. They made their way into the bedroom all the while biting and tearing at each other. Raina's hands slithered under Berdine's leather, feeling the familiar curvature of Berdine's body. Leather finally stripped away, the women fell onto the bed.

Their fingers traced the multitude of scars that kept their skin intact. Their whole lives, every hurt, all of the madness, were outlined in those scars. They wore them proudly, but underneath their tough Mord-Sith exterior lay two women who needed to love just as much as they needed to be loved.


	3. Chapter Three: Devotion

**More Than Mord-Sith**

No copyright infringement intended.

**Chapter Three: Devotion**

Berdine had known Cara since she received her Agiel. When she became intimate with Raina, Cara was the first to know. Berdine and Raina were no secret among their sister Mord-Sith. They were a close group. They had to be. No one else could possibly understand their madness. Several of the others felt the same way as they, but by avoiding couplings, they had managed to hide the truth from Father Rahl. When he found out about Berdine and Raina and ordered them to his bed, Nyda took a mate in order to hide the truth about her from him. Though it was an even less enjoyable experience for her than for other Mord-Sith, she found it more bearable than the way Father Rahl humiliated Berdine and Raina. Raina in particular looked down on her for doing so, seeing it as weakness, but being ordered to Darken Rahl's bed was bad enough without the way he humiliated them.

Berdine and Cara were patrolling the halls of the People's Palace, dressed in their red leather, when the devotion bell rung. It was the first day of winter, and even though neither of them understood fully what that entailed, they knew Father Rahl, their magic against magic, would be even more furious today than usual if they failed to be the steel against steel. They approached the nearest devotion square, one with a pool of tiny fish that Berdine knew Cara secretly liked. A man stood amongst the kneeling D'Harans. A scowl from each sent him to his knees, but both women kept an eye on him as they too knelt to recite the devotion for the required two hours.

"_Master Rahl guide us. Master Rahl teach us. Master Rahl protect us. In your light we thrive. In your mercy we are sheltered. In your wisdom we are humbled. We live only to serve. Our lives are yours" _(Goodkind 1994).

Berdine recited the devotion over and over, quickly losing track of time. It wasn't long before she noticed someone rising, first sitting upright and then standing. She went to nudge Cara, but her sister Mord-Sith had already noticed. It was the man from earlier. She quickly noted that around his neck hung an Agiel. They rose, blocking his way, causing him to stop.

Cara brought up her Agiel, her intent clear. No one missed a devotion. And no one left before the two hours was over.

Berdine expected the man to shrink to his knees, but instead he returned the glare both women were giving him. In brief sentences he declared himself the Seeker of Truth, mate to Denna, and her killer. They could tell he was speaking the truth. This man had been named Seeker by a wizard; he had not bought or stolen the sword. Before them stood the man who had done the impossible: he had killed a Mord-Sith by magic that she used to control him. He issued an ultimatum: let him pass or die. His tone let them know that they were an obstacle, not a real threat.

Cara lifted her eyebrow and glanced at Berdine. Following the decision she could see in Cara's blue eyes, both women stepped aside, allowing the Seeker to pass. "He was broken," Cara said, her face losing its commanding presence as the man walked out of sight. "I helped train him. He was broken."

* * *

><p>It was late in the day when they felt it through their bond to the Lord Rahl. The Mord-Sith didn't know what had happened, but they knew that Darken Rahl was dead. To their knowledge, he did not have an heir, but they could still feel the bond, their Agiels still worked. Darken Rahl was dead, but they still had a Lord Rahl, even if they didn't know who he was.<p>

Several of the women discussed amongst themselves who the new Lord Rahl could be, others went off trying to follow their bond searching for their new Lord Rahl, but they could tell that he had already left the People's Palace. It wasn't long before palace guards were gathering all the Mord-Sith together. When they were all present, the captain of the guards addressed them:

"Father Rahl is dead, killed by Richard Rahl, the Seeker of Truth, and the new Master Rahl. Master Rahl has ordered all Agiels destroyed, except the one he wears around his neck, and all Mord-Sith clothes burned. Mord-Sith are now to be treated with kindness and respect. You will be given jobs helping people, and taught to treat people with kindness and respect, just as all will treat you. Master Rahl warns that if you refuse to change, you will find the Seeker with the white sword at the end of the road. By Master Rahl's orders," the captain said gesturing to the other guards, "we will collect your Agiels to be taken to Zeddicus Zu'l Zorander, Wizard of the First Order to be destroyed, and your clothes to be burned."

"We're free?" a Mord-Sith, Berdine couldn't see who, asked.

"By Master Rahl's orders, yes, you are free."

Berdine wasn't sure if she believed it, really believed it. She had been Mord-Sith for so long she didn't know how to be anything else.

"The man from the devotion earlier," Cara said. "He's Lord Rahl. He set us free." Before Berdine could say anything, Cara spoke again, this time loud enough so that all the Mord-Sith could hear. "Lord Rahl has given us the freedom to choose for ourselves what to do with our lives. I choose to fight to protect our Lord Rahl. I will lay down my life for him, if necessary. As a personal bodyguard of Lord Rahl…"

"The First File are Lord Rahl's person bodyguards," one of the guards interrupted.

"Women are stronger than men," Cara stated, her tone indicating that the guard was ignorant to suggest that male bodyguards were sufficient. "As a personal bodyguard of Lord Rahl, I take orders from no one but him." Cara dropped to her knees and placed her forehead against the floor. If Cara was right, if Lord Rahl really had set them free, then perhaps being Mord-Sith could finally mean more than madness. The other Mord-Sith, Berdine with Raina at her side included, followed Cara's lead. The men, unsure what else to do, knelt with them. As one they recited the devotion as was customary in the field.

"_Master Rahl guide us. Master Rahl teach us. Master Rahl protect us. In your light we thrive. In your mercy we are sheltered. In your wisdom we are humbled. We live only to serve. Our lives are yours"_ (Goodkind 1994).


	4. Chapter Four: The Bond

**More Than Mord-Sith**

No copyright infringement intended.

**Chapter Four: The Bond**

Being Lord Rahl's personal bodyguards was much different than Berdine thought it would be. For one, Lord Rahl had left the People's Palace the day he killed Darken Rahl, before they even knew who he was, and had yet to return. Through the bond, they could sense that he was somewhere to the south, but he was too far away to know where. Raina would often join Cara in silently staring off in the direction of the Lord Rahl she revered so much. But his absence had brought turmoil to D'Hara. He had only given a few orders before his departure, so the people of D'Hara had little direction.

Worsening the situation, it seemed that Darken Rahl wasn't entirely dead and so some generals still remained loyal to him. Unlike Cara, Berdine and Raina were still skeptical that this new Lord Rahl was really different than Darken Rahl, but the prospect was too enticing to dismiss. Berdine couldn't understand how they would choose to serve the tyrant Darken Rahl over their new Lord Rahl. Then she thought of Nyda taking a mate and how she and Raina were never in anyway intimate outside of the secrecy of their private rooms and even then only when Darken Rahl was too occupied to notice. She thought of how she never ate meat in his presence for fear of his wrath and fickle temperament. Berdine realized she understand all too well how people would willingly serve Darken Rahl even if he was supposed to be dead.

Though she accepted the Seeker Richard as the new Lord Rahl, Berdine still wasn't sure what to make of the change. Cara believed in him and relished her freedom. But Berdine, Raina, and most of the other Mord-Sith still wondered if he really was different than Darken Rahl.

"_He's still Darken Rahl's son," Berdine had said, sharing her doubts with Cara. _

"_And I'm Mord-Sith," Cara replied shortly._

"_Well, yes, but…"_

"_Lord Rahl has seen that we are more than simply Mord-Sith."_

"_Exactly."_

"_Lord Rahl is more than simply Darken Rahl's son."_

Berdine didn't discuss the matter with Cara after that. Darken Rahl would never have freed them. He could never have understood that there was more to them. No one could. But somehow their new Lord Rahl had. It was said that he wore Denna's Agiel around his neck because he respected her, understood her, loved her even. Berdine couldn't imagine anyone loving a Mord-Sith, especially not after having been trained, and especially not a Rahl. He had to be different. So why was she so worried that he wasn't?

"If Cara's wrong, if he isn't really any different, we lose everything. All over again."

It was Raina's voice. Berdine had been so lost in thought that she hadn't even heard Raina come up next to her. She scolded herself for being so careless. "How did you know?"

"I just know."

Berdine met Raina's piercing gaze. "I'm not sure I know how to not be Mord-Sith."

"We're still Mord-Sith. It just means something better now."

"If he's really different."

"If he's really different," Raina agreed. They were silent for a moment before Raina spoke again. "Do you ever wonder what it would be like if they had never chosen us to be Mord-Sith?"

Berdine nodded. "Especially now in trying to get back to what we were before. No pain, no torture, no madness."

"A different world."

"But you're from so far south. We would have never met."

"I know," Raina whispered. She looked down, bowing her head slightly.

"So it was all worth it. I wouldn't change things if I could. Not even if this Lord Rahl isn't any different." Raina looked up at her, smiling in her special way, and suddenly the day was wonderful and bright. All of her worries about Lord Rahl and D'Hara and being Mord-Sith melted away. She smiled back. Raina touched her face, and Berdine's heart raced. The madness lifted, and everything seemed right.

* * *

><p>It wasn't until a year later that Lord Rahl finally returned to the People's Palace. Berdine, Raina, Cara, Hally, Nyda, and Triana watched from a window on the third floor. He rode atop the red dragon that Darken Rahl had manipulated to serve him. The magic woman who had come to the People's Palace and fought her way into the Garden of Life sent lightening to strike down the dragon, but Lord Rahl killed her, something not even the Mord-Sith had been able to do even though they were originally created to capture those with magic.<p>

As soon as Cara saw him strike her down, she was off, the other Mord-Sith racing to keep up. They met up with him just as he was about to go down one of the halls that they had failed to secure. The Mord-Sith and the First File were loyal to Lord Rahl, but there were still the rebel generals who had launched an attack. It was only the coded message that Cara whispered in Lord Rahl's ear that kept him from killing them all and convinced him to trust them enough to lead him to the Garden of Life.

They ran, Berdine and Cara pulling Lord Rahl along while Raina, Nyda, Hally, and Triana scouted ahead. By taking small side halls and dark rooms, they managed to avoid the fighting. When they reached narrow servants' stairs, Berdine and Cara waiting for the others to make sure it was safe. A short whistle came quickly, and they hurried along up the stairs. At the top, they nearly tripped over a body dressed in red leather. At first Berdine feared it might be Raina, but she quickly realized it was Triana. She was the first Mord-Sith to willingly giver her life for Lord Rahl. Berdine's eyes scanned over her sister Mord-Sith's body, face split open by a sword, and the eight bodies of D'Haran men with blood dripping from their ears. She was proud that the four Mord-Sith had taken down the D'Haran soldiers, which was never an easy task. Triana had died with honor and strength.

It took him most of the day to send Darken Rahl back to the underworld. All the while, a battle raged outside of the Garden of Life. They were greatly outnumbered and being pushed back when Lord Rahl finally sent the lightening. It ripped apart the rebel generals and the troops who followed them. He was their magic against magic.

Lord Rahl took only a minute to ask what time it was before he was off running again. Berdine and her sister Mord-Sith surrounded him with Commander General Trimack and his army bringing up the rear. Nearly an hour later they were outside, their Lord Rahl, the ruler of all D'Hara, worrying over the health of the giant red dragon he called Scarlet. Red dragons were greatly feared creatures. They ate people. Darken Rahl had forced this dragon into his service, but he had not befriended it. Berdine and the other Mord-Sith stared in awe as they witnessed the interaction between the two. The dragon respected their Lord Rahl, and he the dragon.

"First he loves a Mord-Sith and now he's friends with a red dragon. This Lord Rahl is going to be trouble," Berdine heard Cara mutter.

Lord Rahl ordered the dragon to be cared for and was preparing to depart when the soldiers returned with the map to Aydindril and the horse he had called for. He gave no indication of when he would return, simply ordering the Garden of Life to be guarded, prohibiting anyone from entering. As they watched Lord Rahl charge at full speed through the huge gates of the People's Palace, Commander General Trimack, the Mord-Sith, and every soldier present, each one bonded, put their fists to their hearts.

As soon as he was out of earshot, Cara started yelling orders at the nearest soldier. "Get us horses! We'll need supplies and provisions for four of us! Now!" Several men rushed off. "Nyda, stay and take care of things at the palace. With Master Rahl leaving again so quickly, your leadership will be needed here."

"Where are you going?" Commander General Trimack questioned.

"To protect Lord Rahl, of course," Cara answered as if that was the only conceivable possibility.

"Ulic, Egan!" he called and two burly men stepped forward. "Go with them. You," he said turning towards another guard. "Grab horses and supplies for two more!"

"Mord-Sith are enough protection," replied Cara.

"The First File are still the personal bodyguards to Master Rahl, too," Commander General Trimack insisted, gesturing to Ulic and Egan.

Cara let the argument go and smiled at the two men. "Hope you boys can keep up." She chuckled at the expression both men wore from being addressed by a Mord-Sith in red leather.

Commander General Trimack called Hally to accompany him to a small writing room. She stood over his shoulder as he wrote a document. "General Reibisch is in Aydindril with his troops. He's of mixed blood so he won't be bonded," he explained as he wrote. "This document declares the Seeker Richard to be the new Master Rahl, and says that the First File and all the troops and field generals in D'Hara recognize him as such, are bonded, and will defend him with our lives." He finished writing and sealed the document with his personal seal pressed into hot wax. "Give this to Master Rahl. It should aid him in getting General Reibisch to be bonded."

In less than an hour, the six of them were off in pursuit of Lord Rahl, their bond to him acting as their guide, but he had already gained valuable time on them.

They traveled at a reckless pace, barely taking time to eat or sleep, but they had no choice. Master Rahl had already gained nearly a day on them.

* * *

><p>The constant and hurried travel meant that Berdine hadn't gotten even a moment alone with Raina. It was impossible to even talk over the sound of the group's horses racing across D'Hara into the Midlands. When they did stop to sleep, they wasted no time, knowing they had to be off before long if they were ever going to catch up to Master Rahl. Regardless, the women were never alone. Though Cara and Hally knew about their relationship, they had never really been a couple around other Mord-Sith. The presence of Ulic and Egan made them even more secretive.<p>

After over a week of barely even looking at Raina, Berdine began to feel like nothing had really changed. If Darken Rahl was still in power, if Lord Rahl had never granted them their freedom, she and Raina would be just as secretive. She didn't want to parade their relationship like Darken Rahl did with the many women he took to his bed or like Mord-Sith did with their mates. All she wanted was to be able to look at Raina, talk to her, and hold her in the privacy of their own rooms without being humiliated. She recalled the countless times that she passed by lovers in the shadows as she walked through the People's Palace. She didn't want that, in fact the prospect was rather frightening, but she couldn't understand why it was so acceptable for those people and not for her and Raina.

Berdine lay in her bedroll wishing for sleep that had taken the rest of the group so easily. She knew that all too soon they would have to be off again and so she needed her rest. Still she could not quiet her thoughts nor dull the ache of longing to be back at the People's Palace, slipping secretly into Raina's chambers, into her large bed, feeling Raina's warm skin against hers…

The sound of someone sneaking out of a bedroll jerked Berdine's thoughts back to the present. She lay still, trying to discern what direction the sound was coming from and who had awoken. Footsteps sounded from behind her, and she realized who it must be. Berdine rolled over to face the Mord-Sith kneeling next to her.

"Raina," she breathed. The woman lay down beside her, and even in the darkness she could still make out a slight smile that she returned in kind. "What are you doing?"

Raina stroked the side of her face. "They're asleep," she said reassuring Berdine that for the time they were in some way alone. "I could see how frustrated you were becoming. And I…well, I…" Raina's eyebrows scrunched together as she searched for the words she wanted. Berdine had only rarely seen Raina become so flustered. Usually she was so sure and confident of herself. She grasped Raina's hands in her own. The woman let out a deep breath as she relaxed at the touch. "I missed you, too."

Berdine kissed Raina softly. They lay there, side by side, in silence, simply enjoying each other's presence for a moment before Berdine spoke again. "At this rate, we'll reach Aydindril in less than a week. If Lord Rahl stays there, even for a day, we will finally catch up with him." Raina stared at her, waiting for her to go on. "As his personal protectors, we will be spending most of our time around him. I know he may find out himself, find out about us, but I still don't want to tell him, or show him. I know what Cara says, but what if he's not really different? What if he treats us the same way as Darken Rahl?"

Berdine searched the Mord-Sith's expression for approval. "That doesn't make us weak; it means we're smart." Raina paused for a moment before going on as if she wasn't sure she wanted to voice her thoughts. "I can't take it, seeing you hurt like that, not being able to do anything about it. I would do anything to keep that from happening to you again."

Berdine stared at her in wonder. They were Mord-Sith. They were trained for years to be able to handle pain, to enjoy it even. It was their life. The pain Darken Rahl gave them was different than the pain of the Agiel, different than other pain, but they were still Mord-Sith. They never showed weakness, not from their pain and not from the pain of others; the second and third breaking made sure of that.

Raina's piercing eyes waited for a response. Those eyes always seemed to be scrutinizing her soul for every weakness, every strength. And yet here she was, a Mord-Sith, openly admitting her own weakness. No, not weakness. It wasn't weakness. It was something else entirely, just as extraordinary for Mord-Sith, but so much more profound.

"Raina, I can't take seeing you hurt like that either. That's why I want to hide it from him, so he doesn't do to us, to you, what Darken Rahl did. That doesn't make us weak." Raina smiled at her, the joy of having her feelings shared evident in her eyes. They kissed again, deeper this time, letting their lips say the things they dared not.

They pulled away only when Cara's voice sounded above them. "It works better with your clothes off."

* * *

><p>The group found Master Rahl just in time. Not only was he about to get himself questioned by the Blood of the Fold, but he was on his way to simply demand allegiance from General Reibisch and the D'Harans under his command. They explained the bond to him, how it worked, and how he had to proof to General Reibisch that he commanded awesome power and strength through magic in order to bond the D'Harans to him.<p>

Lord Rahl used his magic to make himself invisible as he walked through the streets of Aydindril. Ulic and Egan led so that they could clear the way, but there was no need. The people of the Midlands screamed and scattered before they even caught sight of the group. That was just how things should be. The four Mord-Sith dressed in red leather were on either side of Lord Rahl while Gratch, the gar he had befriended, brought up there rear since he was tall enough to see over all of them.

Despite the wave of panic they caused, General Reibisch was unimpressed. When their invisible Lord Rahl materialized in front of him, the general laughed, thinking it was nothing more than a street-corner magician trick. Berdine could tell that her sister Mord-Sith wanted to teach him a lesson for his insolence. Not even Darken Rahl had managed to become invisible. But before a fight could break out, the glass windows exploded inward.

Four creatures suddenly materialized, attacking as soon as they hit the floor. Hally stepped in front of Lord Rahl to protect him from the threat, but he pushed her out of the way. He killed three while Gratch killed the forth. The creatures were unnaturally fast and difficult to see, but Lord Rahl had killed them in only a few moments. He held his sword to General Reibisch's throat, but Berdine could see there was no need. The general knew he had been wrong to think a mere street-corner magician stood before him. General Reibisch dropped to his knees and recited the devotion. He was bonded.

The first thing their Master Rahl did was something that would never have crossed the mind of Darken Rahl. He asked if anyone was hurt.

Lord Rahl noticed her first. Hally was stooped over, arms across her abdomen, her own blood hidden by her red leather. He rushed to her side, catching her in his arms, apologizing again and again. Hally drew her last breath in the arms of Lord Rahl, and he wept, crying out that he didn't want any of them to die.

Cara put her hand on Lord Rahl's while Raina squeezed his shoulder. They were comforting him, actively expressing the pain of Hally's death, a friend's death. Mord-Sith did not die in bed old and toothless, but seeing their mortality and sadness so clearly in front of her made Berdine admit to herself that she didn't want Raina to die. She didn't want Hally or any of her sister Mord-Sith to die either, but Raina was special, to her at least. She didn't want Raina to die.


End file.
